His Invisible Phantom
by Henry Vyne
Summary: Merlin is still waiting for Arthur to come back, but what he doesn't know is that Arthur has been with him the whole time as a ghost. Warning: Contains suicide and major sadness. It also contains cool magic time travelness. It can be easily viewed as Merthur or just super duper friendship. Whichever one floats your boat.


**I don't own Merlin. To explain this story summary in further detail, it's set in modern day while Merlin's still waiting for Arthur. Arthur's a sad invisible ghost and Merlin's a suicidal painter. But! It involves time travel, which is almost always cool. BTW, this is really sad to read/write while listening to Flowers for a Ghost by Thriving Ivory. If you're not one to listen to music while reading, you should really listen to the long anyway. It's fantastic, especially if you're thinking about Merlin. There also a great music video for it titled****Merlin | Only Human by AloraVideos. It's amazing. Anyway, back to me. Enjoy the story!**

**Word Count: 6,659 not including my author's notes.**

* * *

Arthur leant his head back upon the chair that was in Merlin's room. The only light was the light of Merlin's computer as he typed rapidly away, making the keys click loudly. Arthur was unable to sleep, just like he was been unable to do for hundreds of years, but the closest he could get to it was that wonderful in between state of half consciousness, where you could still understand what was going on around you, but it could still seem like everything was just a dream. Arthur loved pretending that it was all just a dream. Just a horrible nightmare that he would soon wake from. But he knew it wasn't. It was just Fate and Destiny, playing their cruel roles in his and Merlin's lives as they always had. Why would they stop playing their part once Arthur had died? They didn't. They kept him there, as a phantom, cursed to live in immortality and invisibility.

He remembered the day that it happened clearly. He remembered reaching Avalon, and the Sidhe waking his soul to place him back onto Earth. It seemed that they couldn't stand the thought of him finally being done. The couldn't just let him die after he had played his part. No, they had to make him and Merlin wait for hundreds of years, so that they could save England again. They had to be brought back to save other people from their own problems and mistakes. Arthur had grown more than a little bitter at the cruel fate that seemed to pave the path for Merlin and him wherever they went.

When the Sidhe brought his soul back, they told him that he would return when Albion's need was greatest. That was all they said to him before they left him near to Merlin, who was still sobbing uncontrollably as he gazed at the tower that was beginning to be enveloped with the mists of dawn.

_"Merlin!" Arthur cried out. "Merlin?" Arthur ran towards Merlin, bewildered as to why he wasn't responding to him. Merlin just kept gazing at the tower, ignoring Arthur as if he couldn't hear or see him.  
_

_"Merlin, I'm still here! They healed me!" Arthur kept running towards him with glee, and when he finally reached him, tried to envelope him in a hug. Arthur shimmered a bright gold as he stumbled through Merlin and fell to the ground. He looked up with confusion at Merlin, who hadn't changed position at all.  
_

_"Oh, no. Merlin! Merlin, can you hear me?!" Arthur stood up in front of Merlin and attempted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him with all of his might until he saw him, but again he shimmered gold and passed right through Merlin.  
_

_"No," He whispered in disbelief._

It had been the same way for years. Arthur stayed with Merlin throughout the whole time, waiting for Albion's greatest need to come so that Merlin could finally see him again. He had been with Merlin for so much, and Merlin didn't even know. Arthur had been there when Merlin went back to Camelot and told everyone that Arthur hadn't survived. He had been there for his second funeral that was given to him in the town square, by burning a cape and sword. He had been with Merlin when Gaius passed on and Merlin took up the position of the new Court Physician. He had been there as the remaining knights of the Round Table diminished. He was there when Guinevere had died. He had been there as his castle was abandoned and left for ruin.

The War of the Roses came, and Arthur was sure that that was Albion's greatest time of need. But, no. Merlin still was unable to see him. So they waited, and Arthur watched as his beloved people turned against each other as they broke out in riots and revolution. They waited through many battles, with the Scots, the Irish, Spain, and France. Arthur was so certain that the Hundred Years' War with France would bring him back. It had lasted for over a hundred years after all. But instead he had to wait and just watch his beautiful land and people go through the hardships of war without him to help lead them through it.

He was there for Merlin's first car ride. It had been one of the best experiences Arthur had had in years, because for the first time in far too long, Merlin looked happy for a moment. Even though the cars in the 1900's were very slow and loud, it had been a somewhat enjoyable thing for the both of them. The still both preferred horses though.

He was there with Merlin when he was drafted into World War 1. That was the most certain that either of them had ever been of Arthur's return. But it hadn't come. It didn't during the second war either. They watched and waited for years and years, as the English language changed and the air and water became more polluted, chivalry and honour seemed to die away, and the belief in magic seemed to die with it and just turn into silly children's stories.

They even started reading a book or two on Arthurian legends, but they never got far into it before Merlin closed it and started crying again. Arthur couldn't blame him. At least he had had Merlin's company through the bitterness of immortality. Merlin didn't have that luxury.

Merlin had started his own book on the Arthurian legends hundreds of years ago, but could never get far before he had to take a break so he didn't lose himself to loneliness completely. Merlin started it a few years after Arthur's death. He wrote on parchment about the first time he and Arthur had met. He of course didn't get far in that scene until the both of them cried themselves to sleep that night, missing each other and the way things used to be.

As time passed, Merlin wrote more of their tales on paper instead of parchment, and then used a typewriter. Now, he used his laptop for writing down each chapter of their exciting adventures together, from the time the fought together on the training grounds at the very beginning, to the times they laughed together in Camelot, and to the time they cried together at Avalon.

Merlin hadn't finished them all yet. Last Arthur read, Merlin had just regained his magic at the Crystal Cave. Arthur was intrigued by this new part of the story that he hadn't known of before, and read it with sadness as he remembered what he was doing while Merlin was fighting Morgana. He was moping around camp, wishing that Merlin was there, oblivious to everything that Merlin had done and went through for him.

He sat by Merlin and read over his shoulder, feeling like he would leave Merlin alone even more than he already was if he didn't read it with him. Besides, what would he do instead? Sit there and imagine again what things would've been like if he had made the right decisions. That's he spent most of his time on. Reminiscing in the past and pretending that he hadn't made all of the mistakes that he had. No doubt that's what Merlin spent his time on too, when he wasn't writing.

They sat there for hours more, both crying pitifully at the story that was replaying in their minds, as Merlin kept writing what had happened on that tragic day at Avalon. Finally, Merlin was done. He'd finished the last of their story. Of their story.

"I'm done, Arthur." Merlin said sadly, his voice breaking terribly from crying.

Arthur smiled slightly at Merlin talking to him again. It wasn't often that he heard his voice anymore, and he loved it when Merlin spoke to him, even though Arthur knew the Merlin didn't know if Arthur was even there.

"I've finally finished it."

Arthur reread the last paragraph on the page. It said:

"These are the true tales of King Arthur of Camelot. Some of you reading this might ask how I've come to gain this information. And I'm here to tell you that I've lived these stories. I am Merlin, and these are the stories of my life."

"I'm proud of you, Merlin." Arthur said even though he knew no one could hear him. "I wouldn't have been able to go through writing that. I don't know how you did."

Merlin leaned back in his chair and stared blankly at the ceiling, his lips still quivering from crying. His usually pale face was very red and tears were still streaming down from his puffy eyes as he held his breath, trying to stop the convulsions. It was around 7:00 a.m. and the sun was just beginning to shine, making the sky light up ever so softly. Merlin had been writing all night and through the whole day before it also. He hadn't eaten or drank anything for days, and Arthur was getting worried again.

Arthur leaned over to Merlin so that he was looking directly down at his face. Arthur moved around a bit until Merlin's train of sight met Arthur's eyes and it looked as if Merlin were actually seeing Arthur. Arthur smiled and laughed a little for the first time in days at the wonderful feeling that Merlin could actually see him again. Arthur did this as often as he had the chance to, for it had been so many years since anyone had actually looked him. It made it easier to pretend that Merlin knew he wasn't all alone, if Arthur could trick himself for a few moments into thinking that Merlin could finally see him, and was looking right into his eyes.

Arthur let the tears fall from his eyes and watched them as they shimmered gold and fell through Merlin's face. After several seconds, Merlin sat up abruptly, causing Arthur to shimmer gold again as Merlin passed through him. Merlin walked over to the side of the room and took off a sheet the was covering a large painting that was propped up against the wall.

Merlin had also dabbled in other things than writing. He played the piano and violin beautifully, but his art is what really took Arthur's breath away. He painted gorgeous paintings of all of the people that he used to know. Arthur, the knights, Guinevere, Gaius, even Morgana when she was still living in the castle. He included himself in the pictures sometimes also. The one that was Arthur's favourites included everyone, good and evil. It was an enormous painting that was about as tall as Merlin. It had each person in it at least twice, showing the different sides to their personalities and how much they had changed.

It had Morgana when she was still so sweet and kind, and then herself in the black lace dress that she usually wore after she had left with Morgause.

It had Uther in it, portraying him with a loving and caring look on his face, and then it showed another one of him, as he appeared when he came back as a ghost.

It had Tristan and Isolde, one with them standing side by side holding their swords and each others free hands, and the other with Tristan cradling Isolde in his arms, kissing her goodbye.

It had Morgause in the armour she wore when she challenged Arthur to the duel, and then it showed her in her sleek red dress that she had worn when she showed Arthur and Merlin Ygraine.

It had Will as a child, smiling cheekily and holding a short stick in his hand, and then it showed him laying on a table with an arrow embedded into his chest.

It showed Kilgharrah, chained up and locked inside a gigantic cavern, and then it showed him in the clearing where he usually met Merlin, looking down at the small figure of Merlin. In the painting you could only see Merlin's back though.

It had Ygraine sitting in bed, holding a small newborn child in her arms, and then in showed her hugging Arthur, as she had when Morgause had brought her back. You couldn't see Arthur's face in that picture either.

It had Gaius, who was concocting some sort of remedy at a table, and then it showed his where he had lay on his deathbed.

It had Guinevere, dressed in a simple pink dress, making a bed. And then it showed her sitting on a thrown, wearing a majestic purple dress and holding Arthur's hand.

It had Lancelot, when he was leaning against the log after saving Merlin from the griffon. It then showed him smiling and looking back as he held his arms out right before he passed through the veil to the other world, sacrificing himself and saving everyone. It also showed him as a wraith, when he walked over the magical circle that Merlin had drawn.

It had Mordred, when he was just a young child hiding behind the wheel barrow in the courtyard. Then it showed him where he had died at Camlann, his body glowing with the pallor of death.

It had many other people also, giving all of them at least two different portrayals. It had Gwaine, Elyan, Leon, Percival, Agravaine, Finna, Daegal, Mithian, Hunith, Balinor, and so many others, but the most evident of all were two young men.

It had Merlin walking up the trail towards Camelot with a bag strapped across his back, and then it showed him in a modern house, standing by the fireplace while painting.

Then it had Arthur. It showed him throwing knives the the poor boy who Merlin had stood up for all of those years ago. Then it showed him laying upon a boat that was floating in the water, with Merlin looking over him, tears streaming down his face.

Merlin picked the painting up as best as he could without damaging it, and laid it beside his computer on the table. He admired his work with misty eyes, before sighing contentedly, as if he had accomplished something that he'd needed to get done for a long time.

"Now we'll finally be remembered the way we were always supposed to be." Merlin stood up and opened the door to his closet. He pulled out a dark bag containing some things that were very precious to Merlin. The only things besides his memories and paintings that he held dear to him. He pulled from the bag Arthur's crown and admired it while smiling ever so softly, before he gently set it down on the table next the the painting. Next he took the book of magic that Gaius had given him when he arrived in Camelot. He flipped through the pages briefly and smiled fondly at it before he set it down next to Arthur's crown. Next he pulled out a stack of old clothes. Very old clothes. The clothes that he had worn so often in Camelot. They would never had lasted the years without a simple spell that Merlin had put on them. They were still obviously very fragile, though.

Merlin quickly changed into them and stepped in front a full length mirror that was in the corner of the room, still holding his red neckerchief in his hand. He looked at his reflection from watery eyes as he carefully tied his neckerchief around his neck once more. He then pulled the last thing from his back, which was his other red neckerchief. This one he hadn't worn as often. It was just an access one that had irritated his skin too much for him to wear often. He gently placed this inside the crown and then promptly sat down on the floor, hugged his knees close to his chest, and cried.

All that Arthur could do was stand there and watch, just like every other time that Merlin had done this. He hated himself for it. He couldn't offer any source of comfort or companionship. All he could do was watch and listen, like a spectator of some cruel game. Life really was nothing more that a game, was it? It was just Fate, Destiny, Life, and Death teaming up with each other to create interesting path ways and ladders that you could either climb onto, or fall off of. More often than not, it didn't matter if you were at the very top of that ladder holding onto it for dear life. They would push you. And if you still wouldn't fall off, if you still held on and convinced yourself that you were the one in control. That you would stay for your loved ones and be there to comfort them when they needed it the most. Then they would push the whole ladder down and take down countless of other people down along with it. If you were fortunate, they would leave you there to patch your life as best as you could. But if you weren't, they would watch you fall to the bottom, curse you with immortality, and leave you all alone. Just like they did Merlin.

"I can finally go now, Arthur." Merlin whispered wistfully and dare I say, happily.

"What do you mean?" Arthur questioned. "Go where?"

Merlin wiped his eyes in a vain attempt to clear away the tears and stood up. He opened the door to his bedroom and left, walking through the front door leading to outside of his small house directly afterwards. Arthur followed close behind and didn't hear Merlin mutter the locking spell that he usually put on the front door. "Strange." Arthur mumbled to himself. He shrugged it off and jogged for a little while to catch up with his constant companion. Once he did, he walked next to him knowing full well where they were headed. Avalon. It wasn't the first time that they had visited and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Or so Arthur thought.

Arthur watched as Merlin rubbed his hands together, trying to create some warmth in his fingers to fight against the bitter cold. They watched as the thin cloud of Merlin's breath floated about in the air before evaporating entirely. After about ten minutes more of walking together they reached the familiar sight of the old broken down tower that was placed on the island in the middle of the lake.

They stood there for a few minutes in the cold, just watching the small ripples splash up against the shore, until Merlin started walking into the lake.

"Merlin, what are you doing? It's freezing in there!"

As always, Merlin was deaf to Arthur's voice and kept walking further into the clear water until he was waist deep in it."

"Merlin, you're going to get yourself killed!" Arthur called as he splashed in after him. He splashed. That didn't usually happen. Water didn't react that way to him. It would just stay still as if nothing had gone through it. Arthur didn't realize this as he waded in after Merlin.

"What are you doing?" He calmly asked once they were standing sided by side once more.

"No, stop. I know you're not real." Merlin clamped his hands over his ears while more sobs escaped his lips. "You're not real."

"What are you talking about?" Arthur asked.

"You're not here. You're just my imagination. Just my memories. Soon we'll be together again. Soon I'll see your face again."

"Merlin, what are talking about?"

"Stop it!" He shouted. "You can't keep doing this to me! If you can hear me, listen to me now! I want no part in this life anymore!" Merlin buried his hands in his face as he started convulsing with the sobs racking his body. "I just want to be free." He whispered. "I'm sorry, Arthur." He gasped stertorously and shakily. "I'm sorry that I won't be here for you. I'm sorry that I'm going to make you go through this alone. I'm so, _so _sorry. But I can't. I can't stay here any longer."

"Merlin, what's going on? What are you saying? You've always been here for me, you don't have anything to apologize for." Arthur couldn't push down the feeling of anxiety that was welling up in his stomach. He reached forward to Merlin, in some vain attempt to grab him and shake him until he saw sense. But like every other time for the last several hundred years, he passed right through him, leaving a glistening shimmer of gold. This time though, the gold was much more transparent and faint, and Arthur felt like he was passing through something much thicker than air.

"Goodbye, Arthur." Merlin dove into the water head first and swam as fast as he could into the deepest parts of the lake. Just before he went under, he heard Arthur's voice scream out his name. _It's not real. It's just like all the other times. Arthur's dead. He probably never was coming back and never will._

* * *

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted as Merlin dove into the frigid water. Arthur swam in after him, thankful that the water was so clear. He could just make the outline of Merlin's figure swimming further into the depths of Avalon.

Despite Arthur's chain mail and armour weighing him down in the water, he soon was much closer and could see Merlin more clearly. He wasn't swimming anymore. He was falling down. He was completely relaxing and letting himself sink to the bottom of the sandy floor. The moonlight shone through the water illuminating his drifting silhouette. As Merlin kept falling further into the abyss, Arthur saw his neckerchief become undone somehow and sink next to Merlin in the glassy water.

Arthur swam more vigorously to try to reach Merlin before it was too late. Even if he would just pass through Merlin, even if Merlin didn't know that he was there and had been with him the entire time, Arthur wouldn't let Merlin die alone. To tell the truth, he was happy for Merlin. Arthur had been so very fortunate to have Merlin waiting for him all of those years and keeping him company, but it was unfair and cruel for Arthur to ask Merlin to stay. He didn't know what he'd do on his own, though. Without Merlin constantly with him. Without the hours of listening to him play his violin or watching him paint the day and night away. Without the familiar sounds of Merlin's fingers tapping the keys of his laptop. He'd truly be all alone. It was a cruel fate to bestow upon anyone, which is why Arthur was delighted that Merlin was finally escaping.

Arthur swept his arms under Merlin's thin frame just before it hit the ground. As expected, there was a shimmer of gold that spread strong ripples throughout the water, but what wasn't expected in the least, was that Merlin rested in Arthur's arms, his silky black hair just barely touching the floor of Avalon. Arthur was solid matter once again with Merlin finally touching him for the first time in over five hundred years.

Arthur felt a jolt of pain run through his chest and he gasped in surprise of the pain and the fact that he was touching Merlin. Actually _touching _Merlin! Arthur coughed releasing air bubbles that floated to the surface of the water as his and Merlin's lungs fiercely objected to the inhalation of water. Merlin started going into cardiac arrest while Arthur pushed away his shock and lifted Merlin up as he swam away, grabbing his neckerchief on the way.

Arthur swam with Merlin as quickly as he could to the shore, but it took a lot of time due to the shock of the whole situation, having to carry someone, and wearing chain mail and armour. Once he finally reached the shore he laid Merlin upon it and started pumping his fists against his chest, attempting to bring him back to life. He alternated between this and breathing air back into his lungs, but they didn't seem to work.

"Merlin! You can't die now! I'm back!" Arthur sobbed pitifully while feebly pressing his fists against his best friend's chest over and over. It was no use. "No. You can't be gone! I need you here!" Arthur scooped him up into his arms and rested his chin on Merlin's head. "Come back to me, please. You have to come back. You have to come back." He whispered. There was no use in pretending. Merlin was dead. He rocked Merlin's lifeless body back and forth, letting his tears run down into Merlin's soaked hair. "Please. Please don't go. You don't have to be alone anymore. I'm here now. I'm finally really here."

Arthur laid Merlin's body down on the ground and repositioned himself so he was crouching over him. He took Merlin's head in his hands and kissed him gently on his forehead. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything." Arthur let gently guided Merlin's head onto the ground and lied down beside him. He took Merlin's hand and held it between his, relishing in the feeling of touching someone again. He rested his head against Merlin's chest and felt the will to live leaving him as the waves of Avalon grew fiercer and washed over the two men before receding once again and repeating its monotonous motions.

Arthur closed his eyes as his vision began to grow black and fuzzy around the edges and released his grip on Merlin's hands. He felt Death come nearer, like a cold chill, and openly embraced it as he felt his life starting to be drained from his body. "Wait," He said.

He was in a black room. Well, more like a black nothingness. There was only darkness stretching out everywhere. Darkness and cold. Those and one other thing. It was a rhythmic pounding sound in his left ear. Arthur turned around, trying to find the source of the sound. When he found nothing, he realized what it was. It was a heart beating. Merlin's heart beat. A crack appeared in front of Arthur, glowing with a bright light and the unmistakable sound of coughing. Arthur grinned like a madman and jumped into the crack, escaping Death's clutches to become reunited with his soul mate.

He opened his eyes and saw that he was back at Avalon. He sat up abruptly and laughed with pure glee when he saw Merlin doubling over and coughing out water. "Merlin!" Arthur sprung upon Merlin and hugged him with all of the strength that he possessed. It had been far too long since he had hugged Merlin. "Are you alright?" He asked, his worry kicking in again.

"Arthur?" Merlin looked up at the man cradling him with puffy eyes. Then he looked all around him, trying to determine where he was. "Am I dead?"

"You were. But you came back, just in the nick of time, too." Arthur smiled down at Merlin with a twinkle in his eyes. It was utter bliss to see Merlin grinning back at him. It was the first time he had seen Merlin smile in years. And he was even making eye contact, too. He was looking directly at him with no false pretenses. He wasn't just _looking _at Arthur. He saw Arthur.

The two men embraced each other in another hug and laughed in between their sobs of joy and relief. "I don't understand." Merlin said. "If I'm not dead, then why are you here now?"

"I guess you were Albion's greatest time of need." Arthur replied while wiping tears off of his face. "Come one. Let's go home."

* * *

Arthur was in the kitchen making two cups of tea for himself and Merlin. It had been about eight months since their escapade at Avalon and since then, they had employed themselves with full time jobs as vigilantes of a sort. Merlin hacked into the police radio and they used that as their source of information. Arthur was still handy with a sword and Merlin, of course, still had his magic, so they decided to put those skills to use by giving the police a helping hand in the task of protecting the citizens of England.

That day had been particularly rough, and Merlin said that he had a surprise waiting for Arthur. Arthur took the whistling tea pot off of the stove burner and poured the hot water into two mugs. Arthur wrapped bunches of cloth around the cups to protect their hands from the heat and carried them over to where Merlin was sitting. He handed Merlin his cup and sat down next to him on the sofa.

"So Merlin, what's this big surprise that you've been telling me about?"

Merlin took a sip of his tea and then placed his cup onto the table in front of him. "I've been learning some new spells, as you know, and there's one in particular that I've been practicing."

"Go on." Arthur urged when he noticed Merlin's hesitance.

"I haven't actually used it yet, but I think I understand it well enough to now."

"What is it?"

"It's a time traveling spell."

Arthur almost spit his tea back into his cup when he heard this. "You think you can perform it?"

Merlin nodded his head confidently. "They wouldn't be able to see us, and I don't have enough experience yet to keep us there for very long or very specifically pinpoint at what point in time we want to go, but I'll be able to get us back to...Camelot, at the very least."

Arthur nodded at his nose started to burn and tears threatened to fall from his eyes. He put his cup down on the table next to Merlin's and looked up at him. "Let's do it."

Merlin nodded warily and took Arthur's hand in his before casting the spell from memory. A whirlwind formed around them as they watched the surroundings of their living room fade into the distance.

"It worked." Arthur gasped as he looked around him. They were in Merlin's room. Merlin was on his bed resting against the wall while reading his book of magic and using his magic to sharpen Arthur sword, clean his boots, and a few other other things.

Merlin and Arthur both laughed softly at the sight of this and couldn't help the tears that began to fall from their eyes.

After a small while, Gaius came in and gave the younger Merlin a sound scolding for using magic again. Then everything became blurry as they were transported to a different point in time. They were still in the castle and there was moonlight streaming through the window. It looked like they were in Arthur's chambers, but a few things looked different.

Merlin and Arthur looked around for a while, guessing in their minds where they were. Their questions were soon answered when the door opened and a little boy, no more than five years old, came running into the room while giggling rambunctiously. He peeked his head out of the door and gave a little squeal of excitement before closing the door quickly and diving under the covers of the bed.

"Is that you?" Merlin asked softly.

Arthur nodded his head slightly as a new wave of tears streamed from his eyes. "I remember this."

After a few more seconds of hearing little Arthur giggle under the blankets they heard footsteps and a deep voice. "Arthur? Where did you go?" It called. More giggling came from under the blankets when little Arthur heard the voice. The door creaked open and Uther walked in with a smile on his face. He was much younger here and had brown hair.

"Well, I guess that Arthur isn't in here." He sighed while stomping his feet up and down, pretending to walk away. He then quietly walked to the side of the bed nearest to Merlin and adult Arthur and crouched down to the floor. Even more laughter came from the bed and soon enough, little Arthur emerged from the blankets.

"Dad? Ha! I fooled him!" Arthur gloated to himself triumphantly. He then began to roll around on the bed in a make believe game about fighting a dastardly dragon who had kidnapped a fair and beautiful maiden and locked her in a tower. His playing was very soon interrupted though, when Uther jumped up from his hiding place and pounced on unsuspecting little Arthur, tickling him until they were both breathless and pink with laughter.

Then Merlin and Arthur were sucked away again, this time landing in Ealdor. It showed Hunith sitting down in a rocking chair humming a tune. Arthur recognized it as one that Merlin sang around their house sometimes. Arthur looked towards Merlin and saw that he was doing all that he could to not break down completely right then and there. Arthur stepped closer to him and pulled him into a hug, whispering soothing words to him.

This lasted for a while before the door slammed open and Balinor came in, gasping for breath. Hunith darted up and grabbed a wooden spoon as a make shift weapon against the strange man. Balinor held one hand up in the air and kept his other clutched to his side.

"I'm not...not going to hurt you." He slurred before he fell unconscious and collapsed to the floor. Hunith stood there for a few seconds in shock before she quickly gathered what healing supplies she had and managed to drag Balinor to the bed. He had been nicked with a sword on his right side. Fortunately, it wasn't very deep and hadn't become infected, but he was clearly exhausted and had lost a lot of blood.

"These are my parents." Merlin explained shakily to Arthur. "This must have been when they first met."

Hunith scurried about the small hut, tearing strips of clothing for bandages and running back and forth from the well to the house for clean water.

Merlin and Arthur were again transported to another time, but this time it wasn't very far away from where they last were. This was Hunith's and Balinor's goodbye. They could hear knights outside giving orders to search the town, but their attention was focused on the couple in front of them. Balinor was standing by a back entrance, holding a bundle of food and a canteen of water.

"Please, let me come with you." Hunith asked. "We could live together in the woods. Just us two. We could have adventures and children! We could be a family."

"Trust me, Hunith. You don't want that."

"Yes, I do!" Hunith said while grasping his hands and looking up into his eyes. "I want it more than anything."

There were more footsteps of the knights and soldiers outside and shadows from the torch lights dancing across the house from where the lights seeped through the cracks.

"What kind of life would that be? Constantly on the run. Having to hide and cower from everyone."

"It would be our life!"

"Check over in that house." A voice sounded near the door.

"Go!" Hunith urged. "Hurry, before they find you!"

Balinor started to go out the door before he turned around and gave Hunith a passionate kiss for the last time. "I love you." He told her.

"And I you."

The front door opened right as Balinor left, letting four soldiers into the small house.

Merlin and Arthur were transported again, this time back in Camelot. They were in a room full of lit candles with Guinevere seated on a bench with Arthur kneeling down before her.

"Guinevere, will you do me the honour, of becoming my wife?"

Guinevere smile a smile full of love an sincerity as she leaned in to hug Arthur tightly.

"Is that a yes?"

"Oh, sorry, yes! Yes, yes." She pulled away from the hug and Arthur lifted her hand and put a silver engagement ring on her finger. They hugged tightly again and didn't break the connection long time.

Merlin and Arthur left again, going to another spot of Arthur's childhood.

"Tag! You're it!" Nine year old Morgana ran up and pushed Arthur into the stream that he was standing by.

"Morgana, I'm going to kill you!"

"You'll have to catch me first!" She retorted while running away.

Arthur quickly climbed out of the frigid water and chased after Morgana as fast as he could. Eventually, he had cornered her in the bakery which they often terrorized and stole from.

"Aha! No escape now, Morgana." Arthur had dripped water all over the store, not to mention he and Morgana had successfully tipped over some shelves of bread and cakes in the process of running away and chasing.

"Nor for you, Arthur." A voice said from behind him. Morgana grinned devilishly when she saw who it was. "Lord Agravaine!" _He was sure to get Arthur in trouble._ She stuck her tongue out smugly at Arthur.

"Don't think that you've escaped punishment, Morgana. I'm sure that King Uther wouldn't object to giving you the evening off from your studies to help Arthur clean up this mess."

Arthur mimicked Morgana's earlier form of teasing and stuck his tongue out at her as well. They spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up the bakery until they were dismissed. They then carried on their game of tag and ended up back in the stream before sunset, playing and laughing with each other.

Merlin and Arthur time traveled again, years into the future. They were in Arthur's chambers, which were in a great state of disarray. There were tables and chairs overturned, window curtains torn, and blankets and clothes strewn all across the room. Arthur walked in and saw Guinevere picking up a chair and placing it right side up.

"It's will take some time." She said while smiling slightly and nodding her head towards the direction where most of the mess was.

Arthur nodded in agreement while looking around the room. "Merlin can take care of it."

Guinevere chuckled and walked closer to Arthur. "If you want me to go, and return to Ealdor-"

Arthur interrupted her. "I want you to stay. Guinevere," He said while walking towards her steadily.

"You don't have to say anything."

"Whatever had happened between us,"

"Please Arthur, I can't forgive myself."

"I don't care." He said as he closed the gap of distance between them. They were now standing face to face. "I just don't ever want to lose you." He grasped her hands in his as they looked into each others eyes. "Will you marry me?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied while smiling lovingly at him. "Yes, with all my heart." They leaned in and kissed, and then Merlin and Arthur were transported to the throne room on her coronation day. She walked down the isle in a purple and gold silk gown and kneeled in front of Arthur once she had reached him.

He smiled down at her lovingly before he turned to his left and picked up her crown from the pillow. "By the sacred laws vested in me, I crown you Guinevere, Queen of Camelot." He placed the crown upon her head and reached out his arms to her. She held his hands and stood up next to him. They leaned in and kissed before the audience chanted 'Love live the queen!'.

Then Merlin and Arthur were transported back to their house, their tea still steaming on the table.

They just stood there for several minutes before Arthur broke the silence. "Thank you, Merlin. That was wonderful."

Merlin closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly.

"Can we go again sometime?" Arthur asked.

"We can only pass through a number of times before the spell won't work for us anymore."

"But we can go again?"

"Yes,"

"Good. That's good."

**That took hours and hours to write. It's kind of sad knowing that if Merlin had just killed himself a few centuries earlier, they both would have been spared a lot of pain and heartache. Oh well. And I apologize for not explaining what Arthur can touch and what he can't. If he could touch things but not people, then technically, instead of passing through Merlin he would grab onto his clothes. Unless Merlin was naked the whole time. O_O Now there's an image for you! And Arthur could have picked up a pen long ago and written to Merlin explaining his predicament. :/ Sometimes plot holes are worth the story that it creates, eh? Anyway, please leave a review and tell me what you thought of it. Aren't you glad I didn't end it at Avalon Romeo and Juliet style? It considered it for a while, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.**


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